DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of metastatic cancer

• Measurable disease

  • Able to be percutaneously biopsied with minimum morbidity on protocol NCI-99-C-0128
• Tumor expression of interleukin-1 by biopsy
• Progressive disease during prior standard first-line chemotherapy OR refused standard first-line chemotherapy

• No active intracranial or leptomeningeal metastases

  • Prior radiotherapy to or resection of intracranial metastatic disease allowed provided there is no evidence of active disease on MRI or CT scan for the past month AND there is no requirement for concurrent anticonvulsant or steroid medications

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• At least 4 months

Hematopoietic

• Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3

Hepatic

• PT within 2 seconds of the upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance greater than 30 mL/min

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• No allergy to proteins made from bacteria
• No active infection
• HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• More than 30 days since prior biologic therapy
• No concurrent systemic immune modulators

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 30 days since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent steroids

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 14 days since prior localized radiotherapy to non-target lesions and recovered
• More than 30 days since other prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

Other

• At least 30 days since prior antibiotic therapy for infection